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Cord
Cord was sergeant of the 5th squad in the 2nd Company of the Ashok RegimentHouse of Chains, Dramatis Personae under Captain Kindly. He was a Seven Cities nativeHouse of Chains, Chapter 2, US SFBC p.135 described as being dark-skinned, with a "scarred face beneath a bald, tattoo-stitched pate" and his smile, due to his gold teeth, was "a row of gleaming gold".House of Chains, Chapter 2, UK MMPB p.158House of Chains, Chapter 9, UK MMPB p.431 In House of Chains Cord was stationed with the Ashok Regiment in Silver Lake on Genabackis. He and several others in his squad were under house arrest for drunkeness when Karsa Orlong attacked their garrison. The mage, Ebron, released and armed Cord and the other squad members and they were able to capture the rampaging Teblor. Afterwards, Cord had the slaver, Silgar, arrested after he attempted to bribe Cord for his slave's return.House of Chains, Chapter 2, US SFBC p.133-136 As a response to rumours of rebellion on Seven Cities, Kindly's regiment was recalled back from Genabackis. Cord's squad took charge of bringing the prisoners, Karsa, Silgar, and Torvald Nom to Seven Cities for inprisonment in the Malazan Empire's Otataral mines. But in Tanys they separated to take the voyage in different ships.House of Chains, Chapter 3, US SFBC p.138-140/148 Back in their homeland, Cord's company had come under siege in the ancient cliff-side fortress of B'ridys by Irriz and his Seven Cities renegades. After Captain Kindly and Lieutenant Pores disappeared whilst exploring the fortress, Cord, as the only sergeant left, took over command of the remaining fifty-one soldiers. Cord, the mage Ebron and Bell, observed as Kalam Mekhar gave mercy to three of the rebels, who had been poisoned with Tralb, and climbed down by rope to make contact with him. Kalam demanded the mage eliminate the poisoned water and agreed to get them Irriz in exchange. He accomplished that with the help of an Azalan demon who grabed Irriz and killed the rest of the rebels in the space of less than a minute. Afterwards, inside the fortress, Cord put Kalam in charge of his own old squad which consisted of Shard, Bell and Limp. Cord told Kalam to make his report later and not to give him unasked for advice. Kalam retorted that he would only follow Cord's orders to a degree.House of Chains, Chapter 9, UK MMPB p.424-432 Cord showed Kalam the well where Kindly and Pores had disappeared. When Cord again emphasized that he was in charge, Kalam decided he had had enough and pulled rank on him. Not only as a corporal in the Bridgeburner but he resurrected his old status as a Claw leader and took over command from Cord. The sergeants reaction seemed to indicate that he had deliberately goaded Kalam to do just that. Kalam than ordered Cord to go and make everyone ready to leave the fortress. Alerted by noise, the sergeant returned to the well chamber to find Kalam, soaked through, lying on the floor. The Corporal told Cord not to draw from the now blood-red well anymore. Cord left to get blankets and some of the others, amongst them the mage Ebron. Having established that Kalam had almost freed the demon at the bottom of the well and that once completely freed the demon would be pursuing Kalam, Ebron told Cord that they should make haste to get away as far as possible from the corporal. Kalam advised them to join the Malaz 14th Army, which was marching on Raraku, as Adjunct Tavore Paran could do with more veterans like them. As the army would have already left Aren, it would probably take them about a month to catch up with it. Cord wished Kalam luck.House of Chains, Chapter 12, UK MMPB p.536-541 In the aftermath of the Battle of Raraku, the regiment's 16 survivors ambushed and slew the sorceress, Fayelle, and a small band of Dogslayers. Then they fled for their lives from the onrushing waters that flooded Raraku.House of Chains, Chapter 26, US SFBC p.842-844 In The Bonehunters After the Battle of Raraku, the Ashok Regiment was incorporated into the 9th Company of the 8th Legion within the 14th Army. Cord's 5th squad remained intact although it was redesignated as the 7th squad.Reaper's Gale, Dramatis Personae Some members of the new 7th squad still referred to themselves as the Ashok Regiment.The Bonehunters, Chapter 7, US SFBC p.283 Cord may have done the same as he still wore the old regiment's sigil on his battered leather armour.The Bonehunters, Chapter 7, US SFBC p.292 Cord's squad: *Shard, Corporal *Bell *Ebron, mageThe Bonehunters, Chapter 7, UK MMPB p.342 *Crump, SapperThe Bonehunters, Chapter 7, UK MMPB p.347 *Limp *Sinn, mage Leoman led the Army of the Apocalypse westward to Y'Ghatan and the 14th Army followed. Adjunct Tavore launched the Last Siege of Y'Ghatan by sending the army's sappers to breach the city's wall under the cover of night. First into the city were the Malazan marines, followed quickly by the Heavy infantry. Fist Keneb then ordered Cord to lead the 9th Company's seventh through twelfth medium infantry squads into Y'Ghatan.The Bonehunters, Chapter 7, US SFBC p.291-292 Once inside the city, the Malazans immediately came under heavy attack by hidden swordsmen and archers. Cord's squad linked up with Mosel's heavy infantry following Fiddler's marines. He also sent Sinn back to Keneb to relay Fiddler's advice recommending leading their advance with sappers.The Bonehunters, Chapter 7, US SFBC p.292-297 When enough Malazans were engaged in street fighting inside the city, Leoman sprung his trap. The city's olive oil-soaked buildings were set alight and the streets quickly became an inferno. Cord's squad fled the flames along with a mixed group of survivors from Sobelone's, Balm's, Fiddler's, Hellian's, and Gesler's squads. In the fighting that followed, Cord helped free Limp from beneath a collapsed stonework and attended to a wounded Uru Hela alongside Tulip.The Bonehunters, Chapter 7, US SFBC p.310/317/319 Bell perished tackling a suicidal fanatic who charged the collected squads while bearing oil and a torch.The Bonehunters, Chapter 7, US SFBC p.311 He was among the small group of soldiers who survived Y'Ghatan by tunneling their way out from under the city. They spent three days crawling on their hands and knees through the dark led by Bottle and his rat.The Bonehunters, Chapter 7, US SFBC p.368/370 In Reaper's Gale Cord headed the 7th squad, 9th Company, 8th Legion.Reaper's Gale, Dramatis Personae, UK BCA edition p.xvi In Dust of Dreams (Information needed) In The Crippled God (Information needed) Notes and references de:Strang Category:Bonehunters Category:Males Category:Sergeants Category:Seven Cities natives Category:Y'Ghatan survivor (underground) Category:Medium infantry